Macmillan said the findings demonstrated that there still exists a "cancer lottery" when it comes to survival times, because improvements in treatment are unevenly distributed between different cancers.

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillian, said in a blog for the Huffington Post UK: "While it is fantastic news that more cancer patients are living longer overall, our research also shows that they are not necessarily living well. Cancer treatment is the toughest fight many will ever face and patients are often left with long-term health and emotional problems long after their treatment has ended."